Hospital Maintenance Workers Make Emergency Run for Baby Formula amid Winter Storm

Two hospital maintenance workers in Virginia are being hailed as “heroes” for going the extra mile to help a tiny patient in need.

LewisGale Hospital Montgomery employees Tyler Stanger, an engineering supervisor, and Tyler Underwood, a maintenance apprentice, jumped into action amid a crippling winter storm on Saturday, Jan. 24, after hospital administrators asked them to make an emergency run for baby formula, per WDBJ.

The Blacksburg hospital was in need of a specific kind of formula for a newborn receiving care in the emergency room.

“My admin team called me and asked if we were able to run out to the store to pick up some formula for a baby that hadn’t had anything to eat for three days,” Stanger told WDBJ.

Stanger and Underwood “dropped everything,” got into their vehicle and headed out onto the roads amid dangerous driving conditions to procure the formula.

“There was a lot of ice. A lot of snow was all over the ground. Ice was everywhere. We were sliding, but we made it to Walmart,” Stanger recalled.

Neither of the men had experience shopping for baby formula, but they were determined to complete their mission.

“We struggled to find it at first, but we… got the formula and got out,” Underwood said. “And while we were getting out, we were trying to leave, and I almost got stuck in the parking lot.”

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He and Stanger eventually made it back to the hospital safely. The pair, who typically work “behind the scenes,” said they relished the rare chance to directly impact patient care.

“It felt good. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be able to help somebody in need and help a family in need,” Underwood told WDBJ.

Added Stanger: “It’s not something that I get to do every day, directly to help out actual patients and stuff. We’re more behind the scenes. But to be able to be almost directly involved with helping someone, it was a super great feeling.”

In a Jan. 25 post on Facebook, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery shared its appreciation for Underwood and Stanger’s efforts.

Alongside a photo of the two men posing with a box of formula in Walmart, the hospital wrote, “Meet Tyler and Tyler — two of LewisGale Hospital Montgomery’s incredible healthcare heroes.”

“When a newborn arrived in the ER urgently needing a specific formula, these two didn’t hesitate. They dropped everything, braved the icy roads, and made sure the baby got the nourishment they needed,” the hospital continued.

The hospital went on to write that Stanger and Underwood were “among several compassionate healthcare workers who stepped up” for the family of the baby in the ER.

“When treacherous road conditions prevented the parents from safely getting to the hospital — they called 911,” the post continued. “An ambulance crew safely transported the family to LewisGale Hospital Montgomery when they couldn’t make the drive themselves.”

“This is what compassion in action looks like,” the hospital concluded. “Thank you to everyone who showed up with care in their hearts to help this family — and so many others — today and every day.”